Title: Defining an architectural view for human resources

Authors: M. Zacarias, R. Magalhaes, H.S. Pinto, J. Tribolet

Addresses: Center for Organizational Engineering, INESC, Lisboa, Portugal; Universidade do Algarve, DEEI-FCT, Campus de Gambelas, FCT I, Gab 1.69, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal. ' Center for Organizational Engineering, INESC, Lisboa, Portugal; Kuwait-Maastricht Business School, Kuwait; Department of Information Systems and Computer Science, Av. Alves Redol, # 9, Andar 8-E, 1000-029 Lisboa, Portugal. ' Department of Information Systems and Computer Science, IST/UTL, Lisbon, Portugal; ALGOS, INESC-ID, Av. Alves Redol, # 9, Andar 8-E, 1000-029 Lisboa, Portugal. ' Center for Organizational Engineering, INESC, Lisboa, Portugal; Department of Information Systems and Computer Science, Av. Alves Redol, # 9, Andar 8-E, 1000-029 Lisboa, Portugal

Abstract: The development of modelling frameworks enabling the analysis and (re)design of HR behaviours is essential for the proper integration of Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS) within organisations. Enterprise Modelling (EM), is widely used to model organisational strategy, activities and resources. However, current EM frameworks disregard the complexity, adaptiveness, and emergence that characterise organisations and their human resources. This paper describes an architectural view to model the activity of human resources in organisations that takes into account all those characteristics. It does so by acknowledging: (1) multiple behavioural concerns, (2) the situational nature of the activity of people in organisations, and (3) human adaptive and emergent behaviours. The paper also suggests an approach for interrelating the proposed architecture with current EM frameworks, and illustrates this with examples from a case study.

Keywords: enterprise modelling; human architecture; human resource information systems; HRIS; human resources; multiple behavioural concerns; situational activity; adaptive behaviours; emergent behaviours.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBIS.2010.030624

International Journal of Business Information Systems, 2010 Vol.5 No.2, pp.121 - 133

Published online: 27 Dec 2009 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article